Warning!  Pause and reverse as needed for this short tutorial!

Just to bring my readers up to date!  I’m trying to finish my first left hand pattern booklet. The written copy is near completion.

Contents for Left Hand Pattern One (Booklet One)

Four measure music examples in addition to ample application for reinforcement! (Keys covered: C , F and G and B flat)

Video content:  Teaching session of entire booklet with extra info not  shown in booklet, this includes me playing all hymn examples in the booklet.

Now to create the video that will be included with the PDF booklet!

I’m sharing the Foreword page plus one page  of the booklet.

If you’re a beginning church pianist and learning to play from the hymnal…this lesson is for you 🙂

There are always exceptions to the rules as we’ll see in this lesson dealing with five part playing style from the church hymnal.

The thumb cannot always comfortably plug the tenor note into the right hand as we’ll see in the last video below.

Watch this video first if you need a more involved description of the five part playing style and then proceed to the latest video below which describes the exception to the five part playing style.

I truly am alive but just super busy writing! Entering a Christmas piano solo writing contest with SMPress in addition to other writing for my piano students.

I just need to find time to publish what I’m writing!  🙂

My Lorenz book is still on track for publication this November 2018.

Hope to publish a practical article soon on fill-ins. I’m also trying to finish my first booklet on Fill-ins to be published on my site asap!

The improvising material I have been developing is on the early intermediate to intermediate level.

I’ll show you a sample asap.

As promised in part one of this lesson…I’m sharing a video demonstration of my very first hymn improvising piano lesson.

The only change…I used the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” instead of “Like a River Glorious”.  Either hymn is fine but I decided on the second one for the video.

Youtube video link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yemAttikFNU

Click here to download free pdf arrangement:   When_ I_ Survey_ the_ Wondrous_ Cross_ five_ part_ style_

My last article dealt with using the IV/V chord fill-in for 4/4 time.

This fill-in can also take place in other time signatures….as long as

there are at least three beats…allowing time for complete development.

Original article on this subject:

https://thechurchpianist.com/improvising/the-church-pianist-improvising-hymns-fill-in-idea/

I will share several more examples in time signatures other than 4/4.

Remember…this fill-in works great when the I chord lasts for three or more beats.

Click here for pdf:   Improvising_Hymns_Using_the_ IV_and_ V

Here’s example #2 of an improvising idea.

Click here for pdf example: Improvising_ Hymns_Day _by_ Day 

This idea can be used anywhere in a hymn

where a one chord last for at least three to

four beats in addition to the following measure

starting on a one (I) chord.

 It  adds a nice flowing movement from

one measure to the next.

Classical Music….a help or hindrance to the  church pianist?

A good question!

The answer is “Yes”…..classical music greatly benefits the church pianist!

How?

Advantages of being exposed to classical music:

*Conditions the ear for well-structured melodies and rhythm.

*Strengthens the fingers

*Demands a need for structured fingering which carries over into proper fingering for hymn arrangements.

*Introduces the pianist to scales and other rhythmic patterns in music that can be incorporated into the
  hymns as well.

*Last but not least….classical music demands disciplinein the areas of technique and interpretation for the
  best results.

Although classical music is vital to all pianists, the church pianist needs a balance of both: classical and hymn training.

I’m thankful for the teachers God provided for me in my early years of training.

I learned alot of improvising by just listening to the different teachers over the years. They also taught me ‘one on one’ how
to add runs and fill-ins. Most importantly, they taught me the theory to back up their training.